Attachment for internal-combustion engines.



, H. B. KINNEY.' l ATTACHMENT FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. II. I9I6 www@ g Patented Mar. 12, 19181v s.. \\I l X f IIIIIIHII IN V ENTOR.

H, B. MNA/EY y /7//5 ATTORNEYS TED sTATEs PATENT -oEEicE HERMAN B. KINNEY, OF SAN FRNCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T0 LEAKE MOTOR FUEL ECONOMY COMPANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

ATTACHMENT FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar.. 112, 19180 Application flled October 11, 1916. Serial No. 124,982.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN B. KINNEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented a new and useful Attachment for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification. f

My invention relates to an apparatus for regulating the ltemperature of fuel in an internal combustion engine.

An object of my invention is to provide means for maintaining the fuel for an internal combustion engine at substantially a constant temperature.

Another object of my invention is to provide an apparatus for maintaining the fuel for an internal combustion engine at substantially a constant temperature including means for varying said temperature.

The invention possesses other features of advantage some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of my 1nvention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the Specification. It is to be understood tlfat I do not limit myself to the showing made by the said drawings and description, as I may adopt variations of the preferred form within the scope of my invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of my apparatus applied to an internal combustion engine.

Fig. 2 is a vertical elevation of the apparatus of my invention, a portion being shown in vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken on the horizontal plane through the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section of the apparatus taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken on the line 5-5of Fig. 2. rIhe direction of the view is toward the top of the apparatus as shown by the arrows.

'I he apparatus of my invention includes a heating chamber 6, formed by the casing 7, into which distillate or other heavy hydrocarbon fuel from the tank D is conducted by the pipe 8. The outlet pipe 9 is preferably connected to the casing 7 on the opposite side and conducts the heated fuel from the heating chamber to the carbureter 12 which may be of any suitable type. Preferably the heating chamber comprises the casing or drum 7 pierced by a plurality of tubes 13. The drum is interposed in a pipe 14 leading from the exhaust manifold 15 of the engine 16, so that a portion of the hot exhaust gas passes through the pipe 14 and through the tubes 13, heating them and the liquid fuel surrounding the tubes in the chamber 6.

Means are provided for controlling the passage of hot gases through the tubes 13v so that the amount of heat imparted to the fuel in the chamber 6 can be regulated. In-

terposed between the end of the drum Z and the end of the exhaust pipe 14 is a casing 18 forming a chamber 19. In this chamber 19, a butterfly valve 21 is arranged upon the stem 22. When the valve 21 is turned as shown in Figs. 2 and, it offers no material obstruction to the free passage of the hot gases through the conductor formed by the tubes 13 and the pipe 14:, and the heating capacity of the tubes 13 is at the maximum.

If however the valve is turned, a varying' degree of obstruction to the passage of the hot gases results, with consequent lessening of the heating capacity of the tubes 13. It l coil 26 is arranged in the casing 25, one end attached rigidly to the casing, and the other end rigidly attached to the valve stem 22.

From its location the expansion coil 26 is in thermal communication with the mass of fuel in the heating chamber, the temperature of which therefore controls the temperature of the coil. l

The expansion coil`26 comprises strips of two unlike metals, having different coecents of expansion. The strips are welded dit together and formed in the shape of an involute curve. Since one end of the coil is attached to the casing, any change in the shape of the coil caused by the unequal eX- pansion of its component strips necessarily tends to turn the valve stem 22. At the lower end of the valve stem 22 is Xed a short arm 28 which `abuts against a stop 29. rl`his stop is so placed as to prevent the turning of the valve in one direction past the central position of least obstruction shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The adjustments of the coil, casing 25 and valve 2l are such that when the parts are cold, the valve is held in the open position against the stop 29 by the coil 26 and when the heat is sufficient to raise the fuel in the chamber 6 to the desired temperature the coil has acted to turn the valve 2l more or less across the passage. A drop in the temperature of the fuel and therefore in the adjacent parts of the apparatus including the expansion coil operates to constrict the coil and ,open the valve somewhat so that more of the hot gases are allowed to pass through the tubes. IAn increase in the temperature of the fuel operates to partially close the valve. rll`he result is a close regulation of the amount of hot gases passing through the tubes of the heating chamber so 'that the fuel in the chamber is maintained at substantially a constant temperature.

Means are also provided for varying the temperature at which the fuel is to be kept so that any particular grade offuel which it may be desired touse in the engine can, be kept at the temperature at which it is found to operate most efficiently. This result is accomplished by rotatably mounting the casing 25 upon the shoulder i8 of the casing 18 so that it may be turned to varyv the tension of the coil against the stop 29. With considerable tensiop in the coil it is obvious that it would be heated to a relatively high degree before it hasexpanded enough to relieve the pressure on the stop and move the valve to close the passage. With little or no tension in the coil, a relatively small temperature rise is immediatelyV effective `to move the valve. A screw 3l, through a slotted lip 32 on the casing 25 provides means for securing the casing 25 in the desired position.

Means' are provided for starting the engine on a lighter hydrocarbon and automatically shutting o the supply of thepriming fuel when the heavier fuel is suiiciently heated to be properly carbureted.

'Arranged upon the casing 7 is a priming l fuel chamber 35. This chamber is supplied p with a light fuel such as gasolene through the conductor 36 from they tank G. The chamber 35 is connected with the intake manifold 37 of the engine by the conductor 59.. A check valve 41 is arranged in this masacre conductor and the dow of fuel into the conductor from the light fuel chamber 35 is controlled by the needle valve 42.

Means are provided for automatically closing the needle valve When the temperature in the adjacent heating chamber 6 has reached the point at which the heavier fuel lis properly carbureted and is therefore bein drawn into the cylinders. Arranged preferably upon the plate 34 and projecting into the chamber 35 is a post 44 upon which is properly carbureted and is therefore drawn into the cylinders of the engine.. At this point the heat which has been communicated to the coil 45 is sufficient to cause an opening movement of the coil and consequent pressure on the vvalve 42 is exerted, suicient to attached an expansion coil 45 similar to that overcome the resistance of the spring 47' and close the passage, thus shutting od the priming fuel. The engine then continues to run upon the heavier fuel which is main-- tained at the proper carbureting temperature as previously explained.

ll claim:

l. An attachment for internal combustion engines comprising a fuel heating chamber, means' operated by variations in the temperature of the fuel for regulating the temperature of said heating chamber, and means for predetermining the temperature.

2. An attachment for internal combustion engines comprising a heating chamber adapted to be heated by hot gases from said engine, an expansion coil in thermal communication with said chamber, a valve for regulating the passage of said hot gases to said lll) heating chamber controlled by said expansion coil, and means for varying the edect upn said valve of the expansion in said co1 3. An attachmentfor internal combustion enginesl comprising a fuel heating chamber, means operated by variations in the temperature of the fuel in said chamber for maintaining said fuel at substantially a given temperature and means for varying said given temperature. i

4. An attachment for internal combustion engines comprising a heating chamber adapt ed to be heated by hot gases from the engine, an expansion coil in thermal communication With said chamber, a valve for regulating the passage of said hot gases to said heating chamber controlled by said expaniat i sion coil and means for varying the effect upclm said valve of the expansion in said co 5. An attachment for internal combustion engines comprising a heating chamber adapted to be heated by hot gases from the engine, means for regulating the passage of said hot gases to said heating chamber, means external said heating chamber but in thermal communication therewith for con.- trolling said regulating means and means for varying the effect upon said regulating means of the operation of said controlling means.

6. An attachment for internal combustion engines comprising a heavy fuel heating chamber, a priming fuel chamber, means operated by variations in temperature for regulating the temperature of said heating chamber and means operated by variations in temperature for controlling the flow of fuel from said priming fuel chamber.

7. An attachment for internal combustion engines comprising a heavy fuel heating chamber, a priming fuel chamber, means operated by variations in the temperature of the heavy fuel for regulating the temperature of said heavy fuel and an expansion coil inl thermal communication Withsaid heavy fuel chamber for controlling vthe flow of fuel from said priming fuel chamber.

8. An attachment for internal combustion engines comprising a fuel heating chamber adapted to be heated by exhaust gases from the engine, a priming'fuel chamber, means for regulating the passage of exhaust gases to said heating chamber, means in thermal communication with said heating chamber for controlling said regulating means, means for varying the temperature at which said controlling means operates said regulating means, and means in thermal communication with said .heating chamber for cutting 0E the fiow of fuel from the priming fuel chamber When the temperature of said heating chamber reaches a predetermined amount.

9. An attachment for internal combustion engines comprising a .heavy fuel heating chamber, a priming fuel chamber, and means operated ,by variations in the temperature of the heavy fuel for controlling the flow of fuel from said priming fuel chamber.

10. An attachment for internal combustion engines, comprising a heav fuel heating chamber, means for conducting priming fuel to the manifold of said engine, and an expansion coil in thermal communication with said heavy fuel for controlling the passage of priming fuel through said conducting means.

11. An attachment for internal combustion engines, comprising a heavyv fuel heating chamber, means for conducting priming fuel to the manifold of said engine, and means controlled by a change in the teniperature of said heavy fuel for interrupting the passage of light fuel through said conl ducting means.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco, California, this 26th day of September 1916. y

, HERMAN B. KINNEY. In presence of.

H. G. Pnosr. 

